Need to Know
18 : 11 : 21

US – With its Have Your Unusual advertising campaign, alcohol brand RumChata is showcasing how its rum drinks can suit any occasion – from the night club to the book club. Aiming to attract new audiences, the humorous campaign depicts a homely book club transforming into a house party, with revellers playing table tennis as they drink and discuss their book's themes or talk about their own literary endeavours.

Made with creative agency Preacher, the ad aligns RumChata’s liqueurs with unexpected events, illustrating how its range of products can suit, if not enhance, a variety of occasions. It also shows how alcohol brands can target drinkers entertaining or socialising at home around shared interests – the homebody economy continuing inter-Covid – rather than at a bar or club.

As revellers in the advert pontificate on their book's plot development, the campaign also aligns itself with the Kindred Diners movement, which promotes convivial, pleasurable yet thoughtful eating experiences that unite like-minded strangers.

Japan – A disused Japanese bus is being given a second life as a mobile sauna. Called Sabus, the bus interior includes a resting space, a sauna room with wooden stoves and a small front-of-house welcome area. Many elements of the bus’s original interior have been retained, such as a functioning stop button that activates cooling water sprinklers when pressed.

The first project of its kind, this bus will begin service in early 2022. Its creators suggest there are opportunities for the Sabus to take up residency in car parks or at companies with outdoor facilities. By doing this, the concept cleverly reframes the vehicle’s intended purpose and presents an adaptable health and wellness environment that can be easily moved to meet different communities' needs.

Indeed, as people return to offices and health and wellness spaces, experiential and novel activities like the Sabus can help to provide a welcome and accessible break. In particular, Generation Z are driving this trend, embracing neo-rituals through alternative hangout spaces.

Fresh research by Euromonitor reveals that global mindsets are changing around beauty codes and ideals. In a study across markets including France, Germany, the UAE and South Korea, most respondents said beauty was no longer defined by physical appearance.

Almost half (44%) said beauty was about 'feeling comfortable in your own skin'. Meanwhile, more than 50% of those surveyed defined beauty as looking healthy, while just under 50% said it was about hygiene and cleanliness.

As consumers continue to develop more diverse definitions of beauty – and prioritise traits such as cleanliness – brands have an opportunity to explore new product offerings with hygiene-touting benefits. We explore this idea further in our Synchronised Care macrotrend.